Two Wall Clocks

These are a relatively easy project that requires only a minimal amount of materials. The frame wood is Russian Olive. My neighbor had a dead, still standing row of these between our two properties that was a real fire hazard, given my other neighbors penchant for burning his weeds. Most were in the 10”-12” diameter range, small, but all heartwood.I had offered to cut these down and remove the waste. Russian Olive trees are quick growing and quick to die around here, basically an invasive species that is on the list with Salt Cedar to be removed from riparian areas. For my sales pitch, Russian Olive is a “locally grown and harvested tree” (sounds much nicer!).The wood takes on a fantastic caramel color with an oil finish, but man does this wood stink! Any cutting or sanding releases an odor most foul. I sectioned the trunks into 2’ pieces and re-sawed them on my bandsaw. After a year of drying, the wood is ready. RO works much like Cherry. It sands easily and cuts cleanly, although it tends to be a bit prone to chipping.

Back to the clocks.

The faces are segments of wood (Eastern Red Cedar and Walnut) with Aluminum pips, leftovers from my clock face project

The clock frame sides need slots to hold the top/bottom frame members and the glass + clock face. Alignment is critical to get a tight fit and allow the glass to slide in from below. Some careful design simplifies the slot cuts and hides the ends. The only stopped-cut slot is on the sides and this was done with a winged cutter bit on a router table

Router templates rule for making all the curves!

Assembly is with screws to allow for glass replacement if ever needed. 1/4” copper plugs conceal the screw heads.